The present invention is related to ice making, and more specifically a clear ice making machine and methods of using and assembling the clear ice making machine.
Traditionally, making ice cubes at home includes filling the molds in an ice cube tray with water and placing the ice cube tray in a freezer compartment of a refrigerator. The temperature of the freezer compartment is typically much lower than 32 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature in the freezer compartment causes the water in the molds to freeze. Initial freezing occurs at the outer surfaces. As a result, air and other gases are trapped in the ice, resulting in cloudy ice cubes. Any impurities in the water are also trapped in the ice, adding to the cloudiness of the ice cubes.
Currently, there are clear ice making systems that allow water to come in contact with a cold surface. The cold surface is either the evaporator part of a refrigeration system or a surface in thermal contact with the evaporator. Ice forms on the cold surface and grows in a direction relatively perpendicular to the surface. This method does not trap air and other gases and thus results in clear ice formation. However, a heat source is necessary to warm the cold surface in order to harvest the ice.